Safety device for clothes-wringers



N. MINTZ AND C. C. HIERS.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR CLOTHES WRINGERS. APPLICATION HLED Ape-7. 1920.

Patented June 14, 1921.

11 mm Tam" Mfanz'e] M72? Mai/Zea 6' [ii/27:;

entree STATES PATENT QFFICE.

:MATHM'IEL lfiIN'TZ AND CHARLES G. HIER$, F S1. PAUL, mNESCvTA.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented June it, 19210 application filed August 7, 1920. Serial 33o. 491,938.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, NATHANIEL Mm'rz and Cultures G. HIERS, citizens of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Clothes- V7 ringers, of which the following is a specification,

This invention relates to safety devices for clothes wringers, and more particularly I to power driven wringers of the reversible type,

An object of our invention is to provide a safety device of improved novel construction, whereby to increase the eficiency and emend the utility of devices of this character.

A further object of our invention, is the provision of a combined finger guard to prevent injury to the fingers, and scraper to prevent clothes from clinging to the rolls, commonly causing them to wind upon themselves.

Our invention contemplates the provision of a unitary device, which may be readily lifted on of one side ofa reversible wringer and attached to the other, the unitary device embodying a bodily movable clothes feeding table, which automatically actuates a finger guard concurrently with its feeding movement to lift said guard out of the way, the feeding movement being imparted to the table by the hand by grasping it at a safe point comparatively remote from the rolls.

To this end, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed. In the drawings forming part of this specification:

Figure l is a perspective view of a wringer embodying our invention.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic side view of the wringer rolls showing the invention in its normal position.

Fig. 3 is a die aromatic side view showin the table pus ed partly forward.

ig. 4a is an elevation of one of the side ed es of the table,

ig. 5 is a perspective view of one ofthe side frame members.

Fig. 6 isa vertical sectional view on line iii-65 of Fig. 3..

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the spring mechanism for the table.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the top supporting brackets.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view oi one of the lower supporting brackets, and

Fig. 10 i a diagrammatic end view of the rolls, showing the table in its foremost position.

In Fig. l, A designates the main frame of a clothes wringer, and B and C the respective upper and lower horizontally disposed rolls thereof rotatably supported in the frame, either the shafts Z) and c of the rolls being customarily connected with mechanism (not shown) by which they may be driven. The usual gears D, positively connect the two rolls in rotating relation, the usual adjustment screws E being provided whereby the distance between the axes of the rolls may be controlled.

Each of the upright members 03 of the frame A, shown in the drawings, has smooth vertical faces 1, parallel to each other, the upright fitting snugly between the legs 2 of the U-shaped bracket 3, the latter having suitable screw holes i whereby it may be firmly secured in position above the upper roll B. Extending at right angles to the faces of the uprights, on the legs 2, are the in s 5, having vertically disposed pin holes 6.

referably alined vertically with the lug 5, and firmly secured to the upright below the roll C, is the bracket 7, the lug '8 thereof having pin hole 9 similar to the pin hole 6.

Supported on the respective lugs of the uprights is an auxiliary frame consisting of the side frame members F, each being formed with a pair or spaced outwardly extending lugs 11, spacedly registering with the lugs 5 and 8, so as to rest on the respective tops thereof, each of said pair of logs having a downwardly directed pin 6 to fit snugly into the pin holes of the in s, so that said side members may be rea y lifted bodily out of engagement with the su porting lugs. Each of the side members is ormed on its inner side with a groove or slideway'12, extending longitudinally outwardly and slightly downwardl and an elongated horizontally dispose lu l3,'having suitable bolt holes 1%, whereby e laterally extend-.-

Mill

ing horizontally disposed frame member 15 may be securely boltedthereto to hold the side members in fixed spaced relation. Gr designates the feed table, extending snugly from one side member to the other and being slidably supported therebetween, by means of the tongues 16 extending laterally from the side edges of the table, and fitting slidably in the groove 12. When the edge 17 abuts against the forward wall 18'of the groove, the feeding or forward edge 19 of the table, will barely contact with the lower roll 0, so that when a thin sheet of fabric is placed therebetween the moving rubber covered -rollers will grip the fabric. The spring 20, (which is preferably formed as shown) extends between the side frame members, and projects with its ends 21 through openings 22 in the webs of the side members.

Centrally, the spring engages under con stant stress, a pin 23, projecting from the underside of the table, whereby the latter is held in its .normal rearmost position as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

As described in the foregoing, the groove 12 is inclined downwardly, whereby the table is supported in inclined position for the purpose of draining the surplus water.

Rotatably journaled at the outer edge of the table, and arranged in parallelism with the rolls of the wringer, is the idler roller 24, over which the clothes are drawn in the process of wringing. The roller also serves as a convenient handle to be gripped by the hand to push the table forward and thereby bring the clothes into engagement with the rotating rolls.

As the receptacle containing the clothes to be wrung is usually located just under the outstanding table, the clothes, in the process of wringing, must be pulled vertically out of the water and dragged abruptly forward over the edge of the table. By the use of the roller 24-, the movement of the clothes is facilitated, it not being necessary for the attendant to be constantly manipulating the clothes to help them over this abrupt turn.

In operation, an end of the garment is inserted from above downwardly through the gap 25. which separates the feeding edge 19 from the wringer rolls, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The roller end of the table is now thrust forward, until the end of the inserted garment engages with the rolls as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The moving rolls will now grip the garment between them. and as the hand is removed, the spring 20 will return the table to normal position. It the garment should stick to the surface of the table, the spring will yield and thereby permit the table to move before the garment isrent. the movement of the table constituting a signal to the attendant that assistance is required.

Further, as the table is pushed forward, and the clothes begin to move through the wringer, the hand feels the movement of the roller, which is a signal that the rolls have gripped the inserted end.

To prevent accidental insertion of the fingers between the power driven rolls, we provide an automatically actuated finger guard H. The guard device comprises a shield member a, extending laterally from end to end of the .wringer rolls, said shield member having at each end a rearwardly extending arm 26, formed at its outer extremity with a finger piece 27, whereby the guard may be raised by hand. The arms extend along side the respective side members F, and are pivoted, intermediate their ends by means of the pivots 28, on said side members, said pivots forming a fulcrum whereby, when either finger piece is depressed, the shield may be raised above the surface of the table, to clear any unusually thick mam of folds that might form on the table adjacent the shield. The upper edge of the shield has a blunt knife edge 29, which is normally preferably slightly spaced from the surface of the upper roll B, so that when thin light fabrics cling to the latter said knife edge will engage it and peel it ofi.

On the under side of each of .the arms 26, is acam 30, coiiperating witha cam surface 31 on the table G, the cambeing suitably curved so as to hold the shield in its normal position when the table is in its normal position (Fig. 2).

The lower portion of the shield is formed with a curve concentric with the pivots 28, its lower edge extending normally a distance below the top of the table, and being formed with upwardly diverging surfaces 32*, to form oppositely directed inclined faces to facilitate the passing of the clothes in both directions, it being sometimes necessary to reverse the feed. These bevels are especially useful, in that passing buttons engage them and are thereby crowdeddownwardly edge foremost, thus avoiding breaking of same. When the shield is in normal position, the fingers cannot touch the rolls in the act of inserting clothes in the gap 25, as shown in' Fig. 2. After insertion is completed the table is pushed forward, as hereinbefore explained, the cam face 31 engaging the cam 30, thereby automatically raising the shield. Thedevice may be bodily lifted from the iugs 5 and 8 on one side of the frame, and hung on those of the other. While we have shown our invention applied to a clothes wringer, it is to be understood that it may he used as a safety device at the feeding position of other machines.

We claim:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a clothes wringer frame and parallel horizontally disposed wringer rolls contactingly mounted one above the other thereon, of a frame extendin outwardly from the side of'the wringer frame, an upwardl swingable finger shield in front of sai rolls, a table in front of said shield the forward edge thereof arallel with said rolls and normally s ace therefrom and from said shield, sai table being mounted to slide on said extending frame under said shield to raise it and toward a point midway between said rolls to bring said forward edge to a position adi'acent the point of contact between said rol s for the purpose set forth.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a main frame and arallel horizontally disposed rotatable rol s supported one above the other thereon and arranged to peripherally contact with one another "of an auxiliary frame extending outwardly from the side of said main frame, a table slidably mounted on said auxiliary frame and normally s aced from said rollsand slidable to a position in close proximity to said rolls, means tending constantly to' hold said table in normal position, a movably mounted fin er ard in front of the line of contact 0 sai rolls, a part thereof normally extending into the path of travel of said table, and means on the table for pushing said guard out of said path of travel when the table is moved.

3. The combination of a clothes wrin r of the class described, similar outstanding supporting lugs on opposite sides thereof, and safety mechanism movable as a unit having extensions loosely interlocking with the lugs of either side of said wrin er, said safety mechanism comprising a rame, a table slidably mounted on the frame so as to be slid against one of the wringer rolls and normally spaced from the latter, and an upwardly swingable hand operable finger guard in front of the wringer rolls in the path of travel of said table.

A. A clothes wringer comprising a main frame, a pair of horizontally disposed wringer rolls rotatably mounted in contacting relation one above the other on the frame, safety guard mechanism extending from the side of the frame,'comprisin an auxiliary frame supported on the side 0 the main frame, an upwardly movable finger -guard movably mounted on the auxiliary frame and located in front of the rolls, a clothes carryin table slidably sup orted on the auxiliary ame and spaced rom said finger guard and movable bodily toward the lower of said rolls so as to press the clothes thereagainst, said table en aging in itstravel with said a d to gradua y raise the latter as the tabfia is moved, and a roller rotatably mounted at the outer edge of said table, said roller arranged in parallelism with said wrin r rolls.

5. n a device of the class described the combination with a clothes wringer frame and horizontally disposed wringer rolls rotatably mounted in contacting relation one above the other on the frame, of safety guard mechanism extendin from the side of the frame, comprising a frame supported at opposite sides of the wringer frame, a finger guard disposed edgewise in front of "the rolls and extending laterally the length thereof, said guard having movable connection with the frame to render it upwardly movable, and a slidable clothes supporting member slidably supported on the frame to slide transversely of the rolls to push the clothes against one of the latter, said member being formed with an inclined face engaging said guard to raise the latter in the initial poi-tion of its sliding movement.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with a clothes wringer frame and horizontally disposed wringer rolls contactingl and rotatably supported one directly a ove the other on said frame, of finger guard mechanism bodily movable as a unit, comprisin a frame which fits over the front of the wrlnger frame, a table normally spaced from the rolls and slidable edgewise on the frame to a position midway between said rolls so as to enga c with its edge the lower roll, an upwardly movable finger guard for the rolls movably mounted on the frame and normally positioned in the path of said table and operatively connected with the latter to be actuated thereby responsive to the sliding movement thereof, and readily separable connections between the wringer frame and said unit for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures.

NATHANIEL MlNTZ. CHARLES C. HIERS. 

